Summer Break
by hollyhobbit101
Summary: When Harry, Ron and Hermione somehow end up at Camp Half-Blood on their well-intentioned getaway, they don't know what to make of the strange boy with striking green eyes.


**For the Houses Competition.**

**House: Ravenclaw**

**Subject: Charms**

**Category: Standard**

**Prompt: Percy Jackson and the Olympians**

**Word count: 1726**

* * *

"Remind me why we're doing this, again?" Ron asked. "I mean, don't get me wrong, a break is good. A break is excellent, in fact, but why does it have to be camping? In _America?_ We could be anywhere right now, and we choose some random forest in New York. I didn't even know there _were _forests in New York."

"You didn't have to come, you know," Hermione shot over her shoulder. She was walking ahead of Harry and Ron, seemingly unbothered by the huge hill they were struggling up, but they could hear the smirk in her voice. She knew, just as well as they did, that there was no way any of them were going to stay at home.

"I'm just saying," Ron continued, panting. "We be on a beach right now. In Spain! Imagine that, Harry - a beach! But no. Instead, we have to get on a - a -"

"Plane," Harry supplied.

"Right, that. And _fly _all the way out here to come to some random forest. I mean, what's wrong with Apparating?"

"You did say you wanted to experience more of my world," Hermione reminded him. She'd stopped to let them catch up, and was looking at Ron sternly, though she had a glint of humour in her eye.

"I didn't mean -"

Ron's eyes widened almost comically as a definitely not-human shriek cut him off. "What the bloody hell was that?"

"Well, I'm no expert, but that sounded a lot like a dragon," Harry murmured. Ron turned to him, his eyes, somehow, even wider.

"What is a dragon doing in a forest?" he hissed.

Hermione, ever rational, just rolled her eyes and headed cautiously over to where the noise had come from. Ron tried to grab her sleeve, but she batted him off and glared impatiently. "Don't you want to find out what it is?"

Ron huffed, but followed her, Harry in tow, pouting at Hermione's satisfied nod. They crouched low as they neared the crest of the hill, hiding behind a bush. They peered through the branches, spotting a huge tree, with a golden cloth or blanket hanging over one of its branches. And there, curled protectively around the trunk, was a huge, copper-coloured dragon.

"Oh, great," Ron muttered. "Go camping, she said. It'll be fun, she said. You could have told us there were _dragons _in this forest, Hermione!"

Hermione shushed him, leaning forward to try and get a closer look at the dragon. "It doesn't look like it wants to hurt us," she mused.

Harry and Ron turned to her in disbelief. "It's a _dragon,"_ Ron said. "Don't you remember that time when Harry fought one? It could have _killed _him."

"Does this look like a Hungarian Horntail to you?" she snapped. "I'm going to take a closer look."

"What? No, you're not," Ron said.

"I don't need you to give me permission, Ronald," she said. Then, before either of them could stop her, she was standing, moving out into the open. The dragon snorted and turned to face her, but it made no move to attack.

Harry and Ron exchanged a glance, then they too were leaving their hiding spot, falling into step a couple of paces behind Hermione. Before they could get too close, however, the dragon moved again, this time away from them. A tall, athletic-looking boy with black hair came into view, grinning at the dragon.

"Hey, Peleus. What's -" He narrowed his eyes suspiciously as he spotted the three of them, bizarrely taking out a pen and holding it like a weapon. "Who are you?"

Ron gulped, and Harry reached to grab his wand out of his back pocket. The boy didn't have any noticeable weapons on him, but the way he held himself suggested danger. Besides, anyone who was friendly with a dragon clearly wasn't Mr Pushover.

Hermione stepped forward. "We're no-one. Just campers."

The guy's face cleared. "Campers? That's okay, then. I did wonder why Peleus didn't attack you, but he's clever like that. Come with me. Oh, and I'm Percy, by the way."

Percy started walking away from them, checking back every now and then to make sure they were following. The trio hurried after him.

"Sorry, where are we?" Harry asked, drawing level with Percy.

Percy turned and smiled crookedly. "Welcome to Camp Half-Blood."

* * *

This was insane. Completely and utterly _mental._ Camp Half-Blood, or whatever it was called, had to be one of the weirdest things Ron had ever seen - and he'd seen a lot. The cabins were all completely different, one of them in the middle looking like a mini Gringotts, another on the outside painted in bright rainbow colours. And the place was swarming with campers, most of them wearing orange t-shirts, some of them holding dangerously real-looking swords.

He edged close to Hermione. "Are all muggle camps like this, then?" he hissed.

She glared at him. "What sort of muggle camp has a _dragon_, Ronald? Besides, look over there." She pointed towards a large house, where a centaur was standing on the steps, surveying the scene. Ron's mouth dropped open, but then Hermione elbowed him, sharply.

"Ow!" He rubbed his side, frowning. "Do you think they're like us, then? I mean, he said Camp _Half-Blood._"

Hermione's lips pressed together tightly. "It's the only logical explanation," she said.

Ron nudged Harry to get his attention, pointing over to the centaur. Harry raised his eyebrows, shocked, but nodded his understanding. Just then, Percy turned, still grinning at them.

"Have you guys been claimed, yet?" he asked. "I don't recognise you, so I guess not, but I thought I should ask."

Ron frowned. "Claimed? What do you mean, claimed?"

"As in, your godly parent. Don't worry, though, most of us weren't claimed before we got here. It'll probably happen tonight, at the campfire."

"What -"

"We're wizards," Harry cut in. "From Hogwarts."

Percy raised an eyebrow. "Wizards? Do you mean children of Hecate?" He groaned. "_Please _don't tell me you're all calling yourself wizards now; that's like me calling myself a waterbender or something."

"I'm sorry, what?" Harry asked.

"Hecate," Hermione cut in. "Greek goddess of magic, witchcraft, and sorcery." She looked to Percy for confirmation, who nodded.

"Great," Ron said. "We're at some random camp where they believe the Greek gods are real. I told you this wasn't a good idea, but did you listen to me? No."

"Hey!" Percy interrupted, scowling. "Look, I'm sorry, I know it's weird, but you're one of us, else you wouldn't have gotten past the wards."

"What do you mean, 'one of you'?" Harry asked.

"Half-bloods. Demigods. Whichever you prefer."

"Brilliant. Thanks for clearing that up," Harry said. Percy sighed in frustration.

Hermione pulled on Harry's sleeve, turning him to face her and Ron. "The ancient Greeks believed in a pantheon of gods," she whispered hurriedly. "Sometimes, the gods would come down from Olympus and have a child with a human. They called these children demigods, and some of them were really famous. You know, Hercules, Perseus, Theseus…"

She trailed off, both boys looking at her blankly. She sighed. "My point is, I think this place is a camp for people who still believe in this kind of thing. The centaur and the dragon must be costumes, or mechanical."

"So they're a load of nutters," Ron surmised. Hermione glared, but didn't exactly deny it, which Ron counted as a win.

"Are you guys finished over there?" Percy called. "Because I kind of need to show you the rest of the camp."

"Sorry, mate, I think you're a bit confused," Ron said. "We're not part of whatever you've got going on here."

Percy sighed audibly. "Yes, you are. You would not be able to get into the camp if you weren't."

Harry rolled his eyes and pulled his wand out. "_Aguamenti!" _he shouted, a wave of water exploding from the tip of his wand.

"_Harry!" _Hermione hissed.

"What?" Harry shrugged. "We're going to have to obliviate him anyway."

He turned back to Percy, who looked distinctly unimpressed. Percy flicked his wrist, and the nearby lake exploded, drenching them all. All of them, that is, but Percy. The three of them gaped at him as he stood in the middle of a huge puddle, completely dry, arms folded.

"Son of Poseidon," he said. All trace of humour had vanished from him, and dangerous glint was back in his eye. "Now, I'll ask again. Who are you?"

* * *

It had taken a long time, and a lot of explaining, but it seemed like they had finally reached a conclusion.

"So," Percy started, shoving his third pancake into his mouth. "You guys go to some magic school in England where they teach you how to make sparks shoot out your butts."

Percy's girlfriend, Annabeth, smacked his arm. He pouted at her, but she just looked pointedly at Harry, Ron, and Hermione.

"Alright," Percy said. "So, you make things float and blow them up and turn them into other things." He shook his head. "Sorry, you're going to have to try harder if you want to impress me."

"Harry can fly," Ron boasted. "He's got the best broom to ever exist."

"I've got a friend who can fly." Percy leaned forward. "But he does it without the broom."

"We rode a dragon!"

"Been there."

"Saved the world!"

"Done that. Like, ten times over."

"We -"

"I think that's enough of that." The centaur - Chiron, his name was - came into the dining hall, smiling kindly at them all. "Percy, could you go and make sure those rooms are made up in the Big House?" He hesitated, turning to the trio. "You are staying, I presume?"

They looked at each other, then grinned. This wasn't what they had planned for this summer, but there was no question of missing it.

"If that's alright," Hermione said. Chiron smiled, then nodded to Percy.

"But -"

Annabeth dragged him away before he could finish, leaving the three of them alone with Chiron.

"It's very kind of you to let us stay," Hermione ventured.

Chiron tilted his head, as though amused. "Not at all. We always help anyone who makes their way here."

"It was an accident, though," Ron said. "We never meant to end up here."

Chiron shook his head. "No," he said, a knowing twinkle in his eye. "I think you ended up exactly where you wanted to."


End file.
